RWBY: A Vain Prospect
by SnazzyGambol
Summary: Carmine Vain was a simple farmhand until he witnessed the Breach of Vale unfold before his eyes, live on television from his home in Patch. It was then Carmine decided to do something about the unjust in the world and dedicate his life to the protection of others. This story will follow his adventure as he is accepted into beacon, only to shadow some of their most famous students.
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

"Attention all passengers, you will be arriving at Beacon Academy shortly, please grab your belongings and proceed to the nearest exit when it is time for departure" Stirred from his sleep by the voice of Professor Goodwitch, Carmine grabbed his rucksack and decided he'd had enough of the cramped interior, heading for one of the exit ramps on either side of the ship. "Whelp time to get this initiation thing over with I guess" he thought aloud to himself proceeding down the ramp. Stepping out onto the pad the airship was rested on he got to take in the full scale of Beacon Academy. "Hmm…smaller than I imagined" He said, carrying one his one-way conversation with himself amongst the swarms of first years around him. Though he wasn't here for the same reason as most of them.

Since he'd seen the breach that had happened in downtown Vale almost a year ago he'd decide he wanted to make something of himself, instead of being just another farmhand like his father had laid out for him. Once he made the announcement he wanted to become a huntsman his father managed to pull some strings from his military career and other, less publicized fields, while his mother called in favors to other schools that she had taught at, allowing carmine to pass a simple pre entry test with ease and acquire his entrance papers much quicker than spending four years slaving away at somewhere like Signal in order to get to Beacon.

Carmine waded his way through the majority of the first years, silently thanking his father for his immense height, though not his weight or clumsiness, as he managed to catch the hilt of his long sword on the arm of a light pole and subsequently falling flat on his back, to the amusement of the rest of the students. This caught the watchful eye of one very astute, very strict, Professor Goodwitch.

"Ugh, that was worse than the takeoff" Carmine said, admiring his view into the stark blue sky from the rather uncomfortable pavement. Though his view was interrupted when the coiled blond locks of one strict professor decided to prod him. "Mr. Vain I presume?" snared Goodwitch. "Um…yes Ms. Uh…" she interrupted him "Goodwitch, Professor Goodwitch" she said levitating his large, broad figure from the pavement, and repairing its fragments at the same time time. "I was told you'd be attending our prestigious academy by Headmaster Ozpin" she said, handing him his rucksack from the ground. "Yes Ms. Goodwitch, I was told to find you as a matter of fact and speak to Ozpin about housing" He said dusting off his blue jeans and flannel shirt. "Well you'll be happy to know we already have housing planned out for you, as per request by your father's calls" Carmine shifted in his boots and spoke "Well I guess there's no need to meet Ozpin then I guess" He said, making sure to check that his sword wasn't hanging on the light pole. "Not exactly Mr. Vain, Mr. Ozpin will be wanting to speak to you soon, but first I should give you directions to your dormitory".


	2. Chapter 2: Following the Leader

"Dormitory building, third floor, white door at the end of the hall" Carmine repeated aloud, reading off the directions to his dorm he had received from Ms. Goodwitch after she issued him his scroll. "Dormitory building, third floor, white do…" Carmine stopped as he rounded the corner from the stair well only to realize that every door in the building had been painted a brilliant ivory white, and none of them where adorned with a room number. Carmine nearly threw his scroll. Instead, he was determined to find his room before the end of the day and picked up his pace down the seemingly endless hallway, though with all the white, you thought he would have noticed the red clad figure he nearly crushed walking so fast.

"OOW!" Ruby said, as her head bashed into Carmine's midsection, sending her tumbling to the floor. "Oh geez, I'm so sorry!" Carmine said, picking up Ruby from the ground, nearly ripping her arm from her socket in the process. "EEP!" Ruby said as she was yanked from the ground, up on to her feet, swearing she had caught some air in the process. "Are you okay? I didn't step on you did I?" Carmine stated worried, mockingly turning Ruby around, looking for a boot print on her. "What? No, no! thankfully I've still got all my parts in place" Ruby said, brushing herself off. "Ha, all right then, I'll have to take your word for it. Sorry again um…." Carmine said, not knowing the name of the pint sized girl he'd used for a doormat. "Ruby! Ruby Rose!" She said sticking her hand up to high to shake his, in a mocking handshake. "Well then, Miss Rose" He said, taking her hand in his "Its been a pleasure to meet you" Kissing her hand in the process "Even if it was in such an awkward manner". "Awkward should be my middle name at this point" Ruby said, trying to cover a blush, as deep as the color of her cloak.

Ruby began to cool herself off and asked "So um…." Her words hung in the air, until Carmine caught on. "Carmine" He said

"Carmine Vain, I just came in today"

"Oh so you just came in with the newest first years?" Ruby asked, puzzled

"Well yeah sort of, though I'm actually being put into a second year class's, with a second year team" He explained

"Wait what?" Ruby scratched her head

"Well I'm too old to be with the first years, and I didn't exactly attend an academy like signal, I was able to take the tests because of my mom and attend Beacon early" He tried to explain further "I basically skipped a couple years ha-ha" He said said scratching his head

"OH! Like me!" Ruby said happily, bouncing on her feet

"You're uh…You're a second year too? He asked, not remembering her from the flight

"Nope" She piped "Ozpin said he saw something in me and offered me to come this year with my sister, she's in her first year too but she graduated the academy like everyone else"

"Wow, you must be pretty good to be approached by Ozpin directly" Carmine said, crossing his arms across his chest

"Yeah, I guess" She said, rocking on her heels

A few seconds passed in the quit hall before either could work up the nerve to speak

"So umm, speaking of teams" Ruby inquired "Which one did you get assigned too? I haven't heard about any new ones being formed yet."

"Well I actually got assigned to 'shadow' a team or two" Carmine said, holding up his fingers for air quotes "But I'm having a hard time finding them, they're supposed to be one this hall here where I'm bunking" He finished, gesturing down the corridor

"Oh really?" she said, thinking of all the possible teams for him to shadow on team RWBY's hall

"Yeah, and I'm having a hard time pronouncing it too. Ms. Goodwitch just sent me four huge letters but I have no possible clue how to pronounce them!" He exclaimed, drawing his scroll "Um R-W-B-Y?" He spelled out "REBY? ROBY?" He said trying to pronounce it, before the huntress snatched his scroll fro him and squealed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She squealed in excitement, dancing around in place "You're shadowing MY TEAM!" She said, pointing to herself and immediately latching onto Carmine's waist for a hug. "'Whoa, I, um what?" Carmine said, reeling back, lifting his arms up "I'm shadowing YOUR team?!" He said, pointing down to the girl. "Yeah! Team RWBY!" The girl exclaimed, letting go of Carmine and throwing her hands up in celebration.

"Well I guess I found who I was supposed to be teamed up with ha-ha" He said, scratching his head "Now to find where the hell I'm going to lay my head for the night" He said looking down the hall

"OH I'll help you! I know this place like the back of my hand" The huntress said throwing up a fist in confidence. "You said it was at the end of the hall according to your scroll right?" Ruby questioned, looking too his scroll again.

Carmine replied "Yeah, and speaking of scrolls can I see mine back now" He said, mockingly holding out his hand.

"Oh yeah, my bad" Ruby said, handing the scroll up to him, and he stuck it back in his jeans pocket. "End of the hall? Wait that's where the auxiliary rooms are".

"The what?" Carmine asked, beginning to walk down the hall, Ruby struggling to keep up with his long stride.

"The auxiliary rooms are basically small apartments" Ruby began explaining "They're here in case a huntsman or huntress needs a place to bunk for a while after a mission"

"Wait, I can't sleep with your team?" Carmine said, incredibly confused "Seems like that would be pretty counterproductive to team building"

Ruby rebutted "Well, considering my team consists of four girls, that would be equal parts awkward and uncomfortable" She said, in a matter of fact tone of voice.

Carmine immediately began to blush, which Ruby found funny compared to his stoic demeanor "Oh, I uh um, hope I'll get to meet them soon" He said, trying to cool himself off and hide his blush in the process.

"Don't worry, I'll introduce you to them soon enough. Right now they're helping Ms. Goodwitch wrangle all the new students. I was actually on my way to do the same until I, quit literally, ran into you!" Ruby said poking him in the side.

Carmine rubbed his side and realized they had reached the end of the hall "Well, looks like we're here" He pointed out "I'm guessing mine will already be unlocked" He said, trying the knob on the door, only for It to beep distastefully.

"You need to use your scroll to unlock it" Ruby pointed out, "Swipe your scroll against the door and it should be unlocked as long as your scroll is active"

Carmine retrieved his scroll from his pocket and gently held it up to the metal lock on the door, allowing the door to emit a pleasant chirp and swing open. The door swung open to reveal the small apartment and Carmine took a step in to look about, with Ruby craning her neck to get past his large frame and sneak a peek.

Carmine stopped just inside the apartment and looked around. Facing the inside of the apartment, he noticed the entrance was on the left corner. To his right was a small kitchen that took up the right corner and housed a small island bar for guests to sit at. Walking a few feet, he noticed a very short hall to the left with a door on either side of the it, and upon taking a peek inside he noticed the right lead to a sizable bedroom, with a bed big enough to sleep two, and a closet to stow his clothes and equipment. Backing out of the room into the opposite door revealed a small bathroom with all the standard appliances. Walking out of the bathroom and back down the hall he noticed the kitchen on his right and a sizable living room on the left, fitted with a corner couch and large wooden coffee table. Opposite of that was a large flat screen TV, probably meant to provide entertainment to visiting hunters and huntresses, but Carmine didn't complain. He also happened to take note of the pint sized huntress admiring his new pad with stars in her eyes.

"Woooooooooah" Ruby said, dashing around the flat, poking, prodding, and awing at whatever she could get her hands on. She decided to dash towards the living room, only to caught by the collar of her cloak a foot above the ground. Confused, she decided to investigate what exactly she had snagged herself on.

Flailing her feet about, she looked behind her only to see the heavy fist of her newest team mate gripping her cloak.

"Hey!" Carmine said, gesturing to the rest of the flat, now covered in rose petals "You wanna tell me what gives short stuff?"

"Oh" Ruby said, tucking into herself as Carmine let her down "Sorry, its my semblance" She said hunched over, avoiding his gaze.

Carmine rubbed the bridge of his nose and began to speak again "Its fine Ruby, cleaning up gives me something to do for the rest of the evening, as soon as I put up my armor and what not"

Ruby nearly smacked herself for not asking him earlier "Yeah, what is your weapon anyway? Can I see? Please please PLEEEEAAASSE" She pleaded, gazing his ruck sack on the island in the kitchen, her eyes coming to rest on the silver pommel and leather grip sticking out of the top of the bag.

"As soon as you introduce me to the rest of this 'Team RWBY', I'll introduce you to my baby" He said, putting up his fingers for more air quotes, smugly smiling to a pouting Ruby.

"Awwwwwwwww, fine" Ruby said, stomping a foot into the floor. "I guess I should leave to let you get settled in for the night. I'll tell the rest of the team about you once they get back from helping Ms. Goodwitch" She said, beginning to saunter towards the door, taking one last look at the ruck sack, and its interesting contents.

"Sounds like a plan, Rubes" Carmine said, following her to the door to close it behind her. "I'll be over first thing in the morning to meet the team" He said as Ruby walked into the hall and he leaned onto the door frame.

"Sounds good!" She exclaimed hugging Carmine "We can go to breakfast afterwards to celebrate!" Ruby backed off, and Carmine rustled her hair.

"Goodnight Ruby" He said, as Ruby walked away. Ruby heard him and turned on a dime in the hall "Goodnight Carmiiiiiiinnnnneee!" She said, stretching her arm up and waving goodnight to him.

Carmine watched her walk down the hall and into her team's dorm before closing and locking his door behind him, turning around and slumping against the door.

"Ho boy" He said, laughing to himself quietly "I've really got my work cut out for me" And with that he stood up, grabbed his ruck sack, threw it onto his bed, and went to work looking for a dust pan and broom.


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting the Team

Carmine woke up from his night of cleaning, to the sound of the birds outside his bed room window, his covers rustling, and someone unknown rummaging through his cupboards in the kitchen. He had no idea what to other than to, quit literally, roll out of bed, grab the nearest object to protect himself. That nearest object just so happened to be a lamp, but nonetheless he was quick to arm himself with it, as his weapon was locked away and he didn't have time to reach it. He slowly opened the door, making sure not to alert the would be intruder to him and proceeded to make his way the short hall between his bedroom and bathroom and carefully planning each step. As Carmine inched slowly and slowly towards the end of the hall, the sound of cupboards flying open grew louder, and boxes hitting the floor added to the noise as he readied his makeshift weapon. Carmine too one last step and flung himself around the corner, failing the lamp wildly in place, causing the lampshade to fly off and hit the young, hungry intruder in the face.

"OWW!" Ruby said as she tumbled from her positon on the counter, to her butt on the floor. "What gives tall stuff?" Ruby said mocking her and Carmines conversation from his first night, rubbing her head from the lamp shade.

"What do you mean 'What gives'? YOU'RE the one that's in MY dorm!" He said, gesturing about "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for breakfast with your team?"

"They kicked me out because I wanted a snack before breakfast" She said, pulling her self up from the kitchen floor. "I knew these places came stocked with food so I decided to take a peek" She explained, scratching her head and chuckling.

"How'd you get in?!" He questioned further "I thought only my scroll could open the door?" He said looking the over, though it was still properly locked.

"Umm, I never said I used the door" The hungry young huntress explained, and suddenly Carmine remembered.

"YOU SNUCK INTO MY DORM USING MY THIRD STORY WINDOW" He said in aw of the girl, admiring her cunning way of getting into his room all on her own. "You said you were a first year right?" He asked to double check.

"YUP!" Ruby said, ecstatically, mocking a salute to her teammate

"Jeez, that's…actually really impressive" He said, setting down the rest of the lamp. "How about next time you want to eat MY food, you just text me, and I'll let you in the normal way" Drawing his scroll from his pocket and gesturing to the door as he finished.

"Noted" She said, pointing to her head "Soooooo what's on the menu?" She asked

"Nothing" He replied "You're not ruining your breakfast with some cookies or whatever" He said walking to the kitchen, grabbing boxes and putting them up along the way.

"Awwwwwww COME ON" She said, stomping her feet down and throwing her hands up "You're just like Yang of all people" Ruby said, gesturing he hands about wildly.

"Who?" He said, beginning to put up boxes and close cabinets behind Ruby's trail of destruction.

"My big sister, you'll meet her soon whenever they deicide to let me back into the room to go to breakfast. OH and they're pretty excited to meet you too!" The girl said, helping him by handing him boxes she had knocked over.

"Oooooooooh" Carmine said, hinting at something "They are now are they?" He questioned the girl further.

"Yeah, Yang especially seemed excited. She talked about shining your sword too. I don't know where she's keeping all these cleaning supplies but she better show me" The girl stated putting up the last of the boxes.

Upon completing that sentence, Ruby looked over to notice Carmine was stopped, looking ahead, decorated with a blush red enough to match the cloak clasped around her uniform.

"You okay there buddy" She said, shaking his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Rubes" He said, calming himself down ever so slightly "Just wondering what to wear today." He said, closing that last of the cabinets and drawers.

"You should have some uniforms in your closet." She said looking to his bedroom "OOH! I'll help you pick some out!" She said running to his room before being caught, again, by the cloak.

"I'm sure I can get dressed by myself Ruby" He said, pulling her back and setting her on the island bar in the kitchen.

"All right then Carmine" She said jumping down to the floor as quick as she was set onto the counter. "I'm gonna go see of the rest of the team will forgive me as easily as you might" the cloak clad huntress said chuckling to herself and opening the door. "We're right down the hall whenever you get ready, just listen for the constant bickering and you'll know its us" she said, closing the door behind her.

"Well, sounds like todays gonna be a riot." Looking over himself as he finished his sentence. "Guess I need to find my uniform and change out of these rags" He said, looking at the worn down flannel shirt and jeans, his eyes eventually coming to stop on his pair of black combat boots untied and loose, just inside the brim of his bed room door.

"Whelp, time to see if they have anything in my size, otherwise I might just have to use the bed sheet" He thought to himself, looking back and forth at his incredibly broad shoulders, and trying to account for his height. Luckily enough with Carmines dossier on his educational background came all of his personal information, right down to his shoe size and measurements.

Carmine pulled opened the closet door closest to the bed and stepped inside to reveal a closet full of large, broad jackets, identical to ones he'd seen male students wearing when he first arrived on school grounds. The multiple other shelves in the closet were filled with pants, undershirts, belts, and even shoes and…combat boots?

Carmine took a step inside only to be interrupted by the rustling of paper. He reached down to a shelf to be greeted with a clipboard upon which was a letter addressed to him in neat calligraphy.

"Mr. Vain" It began "We hope these uniforms are satisfactory to a student of such your size" Well that certainly didn't make him feel self conscious at all "We hope that you find these to your liking and I would hope they fit you nicely. I personally over saw the stocking of your dormitory my self, and judging by the files and records you father 'persuaded' me to open and view, I hope we do get to meet each other quite soon"

"Who is this dude?" Carmine said aloud, looking to the rest of the paper, knowing he had more to go

"Don't rush yourself, please take all the time you need to get aquatinted to your new team, Signed, Head Master Ozpin" Read the end of the letter.

"Oh man, its just one thing after another here aint it" He said, setting down the clipboard and beginning to get dressed. To his amazement all the clothes fit like a dream, better than most anything back home, that was. Carmine stepped back out into the bedroom and folded his jeans and shirt placing them neatly onto the bed, making sure to grab his scroll from the jeans as he headed out the door.

"All right" He said, locking the door behind himself "Ruby said just walk down the hall and listen for bickering, that's a strange way to find your new team on the first day" Carmine said, walking down the hall, getting used to the stiffness of his new outfit "Bickering, bickering, bicke…" And he was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash behind the door to his right and what sounded like, oddly enough, bickering. More specifically, bickering being aimed at Ruby.

"RUBY!" A shrill snotty voice said "I told you to stop trying to find your cookies! You'll ruin breakfast with our new teammate!" The unknown voice said, berating Ruby for whatever she had done.

"Sorry Weiss…" Carmine could hear Ruby said from inside "I was just in the mood for something sweet" Carmine almost hear how Ruby had her shoulders slumped, and he decided to intervene

Pounding on the door, Carmine could feel the wood almost feel the wood crack under his fist "Rubes, you okay in there?" He asked with sincerity "Do I need to come in and help?" He asked again, but got no direct response besides a few hushed tones from inside the room. As he was still leaning on the door to listen, it was suddenly flung open from his side and a small white figure presented itself, or rather, herself.

"And just WHO! Do you think you are?! Shouldn't you know not to spy on peo…" Weiss slowly drawled off, taking in the size of the student before her, who was almost a foot and a half taller than her. Carmine took her frame into check and retorted "I'll quit spying when I know my friends are safe" He said, putting and hand on either side of the open doorway, leaning over the aggressive girl.

"Ruby" He asked, addressing the younger huntress who was clearly down on herself "Everything ok here short stuff" He finished, smiling at her.

"Yeah Carmine its fine" She said, visibly cheering up "Like I said earlier, just listen for the bickering and you'll know where to find us" Ruby said, chuckling to herself.

"Ruby!" Weiss said, turning on her heel to face the girl "Who is this brute, and why is he spying on us?!" She screamed

"Well um I guess this is the perfect time to introduce you all to the newest member of team RWBY!" Ruby said, throwing up her hands in celebration.

"New teammate?" Weiss questioned, which caught the attention of the rest of the girls in the room.

"Yeah it's a long story" He said "Mind if I come in and take a seat?" Carmine said

"As your gracious leader I don't mind at all" Ruby said, gesturing him to sit on Weiss's bunk "I'm sure Weiss wouldn't mind either"

Weiss took the hint and took a step back from the doorway, letting Carmine into the room and allowing her newest teammate to take a seat, and put him in the eyesight of the rest of the team.

"Well Hello there, tall broad and handsome" Yang said, from her bunk above Blake's

"Hey there goldilocks" He said, winking over to her.

"Well, as you all can guess" Ruby said, gesturing to the huntsman trying to find a comfortable seat on Weiss's bed "This is our newest teammate, Carmine Vain"

"Sup" He said, throwing a hand up. "I've been assigned to shadow you guys for the rest of my time at beacon"

"So, now that the team has met you, I guess it's time for you to meet team" Ruby said "First there's me, the leader of the team" She said, boastingly "Then there's Weiss, you know, the one you almost squished checking on me" The girl pointed to the small girl clad in white "Then there's Yang" and Ruby pointed to the blonde girl, admiring Carmine from her makeshift bunk bed "And finally there's Blake" The girl said, pointing to the Raven haired girl on the bunk below Yang, who was currently buried in a book.

"So I guess we have the formalities aside" He said "Anything else you guys want to know" He asked gazing around the room

"Where exactly do you come from?" Weiss asked "You don't carry yourself like a noble" That seemed like an insult to Carmine "But you are incredibly outspoken"

"I came from a farm out in Patch" He said, his sentence seeming to strike a nerve with Yang and Ruby.

"Wait, you said Patch?" Yang asked, jumping down from the bunk and taking a seat on Blake's lower bunk, listening intently.

Carmine finally was able to get seated on the small bunk comfortably and began laying out his life story.

"Yeah, when my dad retired from the military, him and my mom bought some land out in Patch and settled down. My dad was tired of the hustle and bustle of the Atlas military life and wanted to live on solid ground, not spend the rest of his days in an airship" The very mention of Atlas in combo with the word military instantly caught Weiss's attention.

"Atlas?" Weiss asked, not revealing the uneasiness in her core. "Yeah, he's been in the military since the second he could start boot camp, trying to carry on my grandpa's legacy from the Great War" He explained in further detail "He and my mother ended up serving together, and that's how they met each other, got married, and eventually had me"

"Seems like you have a long family history in the Atlas Military Carmine" Weiss said "So why would you settle on a school like Beacon to go to, it seems like you had a path all set for you" She finished. "Yeah Carmine" Ruby intervened "You could've had your own ship!" the girl said getting flustered at the thought of such a magnificent weapon.

"I ask myself that a lot" He said, glaring up "But I didn't want it honestly, it seemed boring and I wanted to make my own story, not be another identical chapter in my family history book" He said to the team, Weiss heard these words and was all too familiar with them herself. "Well that would explain your stature and hair style" Weiss said, pointing to his improvised crewcut, which was buzzed short on the sides, but much longer on top and swept back.

"Yeah ha-ha, I guess once you're into the life you really don't leave it, but I've gotten used to being away from home, for one I can worry about having some fun teachers instead of being taught by my parents"

"Mmmmm I wouldn't say that" Blake said from behind her book, still sitting on her bunk.

"Wait what's that supposed to mean?" Carmine said

"Don't worry, you'll find out after breakfast" Ruby said, standing up to stretch

"Speaking of" Yang said, jumping off of Blake's bunk "I'm starving, let's get down to the lunchroom, I'm sure JNPR doesn't want to wait on us any longer"

"Who?" Questioned Carmine.

"The team that we usually go on missions with" She clarified "They said they would wait for us in the cafeteria" She said, fluffing her massive bouffant of hair "Mind walking me down, big boy?" Yang said, leaning around the door way, asking to Carmine.

"Of course I don't" He said, getting up off the slump he'd created in Weiss's bed and taking her arm.

"I'm not exactly sure how I feel about your sister's antics with our new teammate" Weiss said.

"I certainly am" Ruby said, catching herself in a slight jealousy as her, Weiss, and Blake, followed the brawler and their new team mate to the cafeteria.


End file.
